1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a television camera system, and more particularly to a television camera system having an electrical interface for performing signal transmission between a television camera (a camera device) and a television lens (a lens device).
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of television cameras include a large-size camera (an EFP camera) mostly used in studio and the like and a small-size camera (an ENG camera) carried at the time of new gathering. On the EFP camera, a large-size television lens (EFP lens) having a box shape is used to be mounted, and on the ENG camera, a small-size television lens (ENG lens) is used to be mounted.
Also, the case where the EFP lens is mounted on the ENG camera has increased. In that case, an adapter (a lens supporter) for mechanically and electrically connecting the ENG camera and the EFP lens to each other has been employed (for example, see JP Hei. 7-225424 A).
According to a specification for an interface (a connector) for connecting a television camera and a television lens, 36-pin connectors are provided on mount sections of both of the EFP camera and the EFP lens. Between the EFP camera and the EFP lens, signal transmission is performed through the connector based on the parallel communication or the serial communication. When the parallel communication is performed, all of the 36 pins of the connector are used in a predetermined type signal transmission. When the serial communication is performed, 2 pins of the 36 pins are mostly used. The 2 pins used in serial communication are pin Nos. 8 and pin No. 18, and these 2 pins are used in common in the parallel communication and the serial communication.
In the ENG camera and the ENG lens, 12-pin connectors are provided, and those connectors are connected through a cable. Also, between the ENG camera and the EFP lens, signal transmission is performed through the connectors based on the parallel communication or the serial communication. When the parallel communication is performed, 11 pins among the 12 pins of the connector are used in a predetermined type signal transmission. When serial communication is performed, 2 pins among the 12 pins are mostly used. The 2 pins used in the serial communication are pin Nos. 11 and pin No. 12. The pin No. 12 of these 2 pins is provided only for the serial communication. The pin No. 11 is used in common in the parallel communication and the serial communication, and the pin No. 12 is used only in the serial communication.
According to the related art, in the specification of the interface, when the EFP lens is mounted on the ENG camera through a lens supporter, the signal transmission between the ENG camera and the EFP lens is limited only to the parallel communication. In the lens supporter, pins (pins Nos. 1 to 11), used in the parallel communication, of the connector of the ENG camera are connected to pins (pins Nos. 4 to 6, 8, and 12 to 18), corresponding to the pins used in the parallel communication, of the connector of the EFP lens.
Also, Japanese Patent No. 3799169 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,717,618) describes a system that is compatible with both of the signal transmission based on the parallel communication and the signal transmission based on the serial communication when the EFP lens is mounted on the ENG camera through the lens supporter. According to Japanese Patent No. 3799169, it is automatically detected as to whether or not the ENG camera is compatible with the serial communication, and connection between the pins of the connector of the ENG camera and the pins of the connector of the EFP lens are automatically switched in accordance with whether or not the ENG camera is compatible with the serial communication. When the ENG camera is not compatible with the serial communication, in order to perform the signal transmission based on the parallel communication, the pins, used in the parallel communication, of the connector of the ENG camera and the pins of the connector of the EFP lens corresponding thereto are connected to each other. Conversely, when the ENG camera is compatible with the serial communication, in order to perform the signal transmission based on the serial communication, connection positions of the 2 pins, used in the serial communication, of the connector of the EFP lens is switched to be connected to the 2 pins, used in the serial communication, of the connector of the ENG camera.
However, if connection between the pins of the ENG camera and the pins of the EFP lens is configured to be automatically switched over, an increase in processing load and/or an increase in manufacturing cost arises.